Meeting on Islands challenges at the European Parliament to take place on May 7th, 2013

18 April 2013 | News story

Islands – key actors: What kind of partnership at the EU level?

Meeting jointly hosted by the European Parliament intergroup on Biodiversity and Climate change and prepared by the IUCN on EU Overseas Programme, theMarine and Polar Programme (GMPP) in close collaboration with the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA)

Since its launch in 2005, the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) managed to involve policymakers throughout the world, including more than 60 governments of Small Island DevelopingStates (SIDS), big island countries, countries with island territories, overseas territories,multilateral and bilateral organisations and international, national and regional organisations.This cooperation promoted high-level commitments and field projects for the conservation andsustainable use of islands’ natural resources. In 2008, the Conference of the Parties of theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognised GLISPA as one of the mechanisms of theworking program on island biological diversity. The CBD also welcomed the establishment of acoordination tool for GLISPA under the auspices of IUCN. GLISPA has since then contributed tocatalyse more than $130 million for the financing of island conservation.

In the perspective of the United Nations year on Small Islands in 2014, a debate is organised with the president of the GLISPA Steering Committee, Ambassador Ronny Jumeau, in order toanalyse in detail the situation and role of islands within European and international policies. TheEuropean Union and its Member States have more than 200 islands and 33 political entitiessituated in all oceans. These islands are essential key partners for biodiversity conservationpolicies and the sustainable management of natural resources, also providing an instructiveperspective of European and international programs.

This meeting will be co-chaired by: MEP Maurice Ponga, co-chair of the working group «Islands and Overseas Entities» of the European Parliament Intergroup «Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development», and the Ambassador Ronny Jumeau, President of the GLISPA steering committee.